There is a market segment of low impact cardiovascular exercise devices that rely on the user to manually operate and define his or her own gait pattern from a standing position upon a pair of foot pedals affixed to a mechanical linkage system, such that, the forward, backward, up and down free-form foot pedal path of travel, is directed by the user. Unlike the standard elliptical exercise device that has a limited foot path of travel, which in some cases may be altered through the user making a non-spontaneous adjustment to the machine; these user-defined devices allow the user to impulsively transfer in and out from a variety of gait patterns, such as: walking, jogging, running, stepping and a back & forth gliding motion; where the user simply changes their gait at free-will, and the compliant machine provides foot pedals that follow under foot.
Within the limited yet growing variety of user-defined cardiovascular devices on the market today, there is one particular machine with the brand name Zero Runner that comes from the family of prior art (U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,622, 7,645,215, 7,833,134, 8,109,86, 8,409,058, 9,050,491) that features twin left and right hand mechanical linkage systems, constructed to mimic the basic size and linear mechanical pivot movement actions of the average human leg. More specifically, each leg linkage system consists of an upper (thigh) and lower (calf) linkage, each having an overall dimension corresponding to the average length of the human upper and lower leg; with these two user supporting leg linkages being pivotally coupled at a “knee” pivot joint, that generally aligns with the average sized user's knee joint elevation when standing on the foot pedals, that are affixed at the lower end of each lower “calf” linkage. The upper “thigh” linkage is pivotally coupled to an upright, rigid, ground based frame structure; at a location wide of the user's body, and generally in-line with the user's hip region when standing on the foot pedals. Providing leg linkages that mimic the general linear movements and scale of the average human leg, with pivot joints that generally align with the user's hip and knee joints, enables the average sized user to perform varied gait movement patterns, such as jogging, running, and stepping; where the fixed foot pedals continuously provide a natural tilt angle in relations to the user's foot alignment with the calf bone, throughout any gait performed. Additionally, the leg linkage system of the Zero Runner and closely related prior art, allows the average sized user to nearly maximize the length of their running stride, as well as, achieve generous heel kick-up amplitude and the rear end of their stride.
As the Zero Runner and closely related prior art provides a stride length that exceeds any other low-impact cardiovascular exercise device on the market today; the taller than average sized user will experience limitations to the maximum length that they may stride, due to the leg linkage system's limited overall length, from hip pivot joint to foot pedal surface, being shorter in overall length than the taller than average user's legs, from user's hip joint to foot bottom. Other factors that contribute to a limited range of foot pedal travel may include: frame interference issues and limitations imposed by the additional systems that are coupled to the leg linkages designed to bring dynamic function and control, to what would otherwise be, unresponsive leg linkages/foot pedals.
To accommodate the taller than average user's longer gait requirement, would require a scaling-up in the size of the prior arts' leg linkages, linkage communication systems, and systems that provide dampening and lift response that act on the foot pedals; which in-turn, would require a scaling-up of the frame rigidity and elevation of the pivotal attachment locations where the leg linkages pivotally couple to the frame at the hip pivot coupling joint. It is reasonable that the manufacturer would not elect to produce a larger in-scale machine to better accommodate the taller than average consumer, due to the substantial added manufacturing and freight associated costs; as well as, a larger sized machine would likely be less esthetically appealing, heavier and more costly to the consumer.
The present invention overcomes the above described quandary related to increasing the overall scale of the prior art equipment to accommodate the taller user. The variety of present invention embodiments, all provide that the linkage systems that support and direct the general back and forth movement of the device's “knee” pivot joints, may be scaled-up to achieve a greater range of knee pivot travel, yet does not require the elevation of the supporting frame structure to increase.
Clearly different from the prior art that relies on “hip” joints and upper leg “thigh” linkages to support and direct the path of the “knee” pivot travel; the present invention, in all its embodiments, both support and direct the “knee” pivot joints, to travel as necessary, to provide the varied gate functions, through using various combinations of linkage systems, rail guided systems, or a combination of both; all having pivotal or travel connection to a frame structure, at an elevation substantially below the elevation of the user's hips. The present invention's non-use of a machine “hip” joint and “thigh” linkage, affords the elimination of having any machine body and linkage component in the region surrounding the user's general hip area; which the market will greatly appreciate the potential for a generous increase of available free space that the user may use to obtain a substantially greater range of hand and arm movement, without interference concerns with the machine.
Engaging the upper body during a cardiovascular workout has been known to greatly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of a workout, through engaging more muscles of the body; yet the mentioned prior art, having a frame body and linkage components in close proximity to the general user hip area, results in providing only a very limited space for performing free-form arm movement patterns or may only provide limited range arm levers. The market will welcome the present invention's substantially shorter frame, and elimination of “thigh” linkages, leaving the hip area clear of any nearby frame body and linkage componentry, allowing the user to perform free-form arm movements and/or allow for much more dynamic upper body mechanisms that may operate in a much greater volume of space.
Necessary toward bringing the Zero Runner and associated prior art, otherwise useless limp leg linkages to function dynamically in vertical space, and further enable the user to gain stability and a correct movement rhythm to achieve the level of fluid continuous leg motion necessary to feel like one is jogging and running on land, yet without the impact to the joints from pounding the ground; additional systems are coupled to each of the linkages to provide both a lifting force toward keeping the foot pedals under foot when the user lifts their feet, as well as a dampening force to control the rate the foot pedal lowers toward the ground. Where Prior art in this fitness category require portions of the lift & dampening system to occupy a region near to and above the hip pivot area; in contrast, the present invention provides a variety of systems that influence foot pedal dampening & lift, having all components of these systems located substantially below the user's hip region when using the device; and may further, generally have less a restrictive influence against the foot pedal stride length.
As, the Zero Runner relies on a close tolerance swing phase between the knee joints swinging forward and backward about the hip pivot joint to simulate jogging and running exercises, the Zero Runner does not provide the adequate out of phase knee joint separation required to perform and natural and comfortable simulation of a walking and stair stepping exercises. Walking and stepping, in particular, require a flexible degree of separation in the opposite movement relationship between the left and right “knee” pivot joints. The present invention may provide a rigid, flexible, or hybrid system of communication between the “knee” joints and/or may abandon use of a system directly linking one machine knee joint to the other.
An additional flywheel based system or other continuous flow systems may be coupled to this present invention and prior art, to influence the travel rate and fluidity of the knee pivot joints, particularly in the rearward travel phase; and further, provide a more realistic simulation of the momentum force present in the body when the body travels forward upon a surface.
As the Zero Runner and associated prior art features a “hip” joint center pivot axis from which a knee pivot must travel about having a back & forth constant arc radius; the preset invention may not only provide a non-hip driven constant arc knee pivot travel radius, but may also provide any number of different knee path travel patterns, that may be better suited to an individual suspended from a frame while standing on foot pedals performing varied gait exercises.
With the short comings of the prior art where a machine hip joint is used, the market would appreciate a user-defined device having foot pedals that follow the natural gait pattern and natural foot tilt of the user, yet eliminate the limitations imposed by having a hip joint. The elimination of the hip pivot joint and upper “thigh” linkages, may not only provide a longer stride pattern, a more customized simulation of one or more exercise gait patterns, yet will also provide a substantially lower in-stature frame structure that may reduce the volume of space the machine occupies, reduce the machine's cost, and may provide a generous space about the hip area, free of machine componentry, allowing the user a greater space to move the hands and arms.